Steps Towards Development celebrated November 17, 2024 as the World Remembrance Day for road crash victims with the slogan “Road Safety Act should be enacted to ensure safe roads”. Policy Influence Group (PIG) Chittagong organized a discussion meeting at Bangladesh Shishu Academy Auditorium in the city. President of Policy Influence Group (PIG) Chattogram and prominent columnist Muhammad Musa Khan presided over the meeting. The Guests were Vice-President of the Central Executive Council of Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB) and Chairperson of Chittagong Social Development Forum (CSDF) SM Najer Hossain, CAB Divisional General Secretary Kazi Iqbal Bahar Saberi and Project Coordinator of Steps Towards Development (Dhaka) Chandan Kumar Laheri. PIG Group Member Secretary Journalist Abu Mosharraf Russell, Joint Member Secretary Saidur Rahman Mintu, former president of Boyalkhali Upazila Chairman Association Noor Mohammad Chairman, CAB Chittagong Metropolitan Organizing Secretary Jannatul Ferdous, Politician Mithul Das Gupta, Chattala Kantha Secretary Kamal Chakraborty, Student Leader and CAB Youth Group President Abu Hanif Noman, Member Siratul Muntaha, Raisul Islam, Russell Uddin, Osman Jahangir, Coordinator of Odhikar Chittagong, CAB leader Md. Salim Jahangir, Mohammad Jane Alam, Ismail Faruqi, Md. Shaheen Chowdhury, MA Awal Shaheen etc. were also present and took part in the discussion.
Discussants opined that a huge number of lives are lost in road crashes every day. One death ruins the whole family. The transport owners, transport workers, traffic, BRTA, infrastructural weakness and commuters – everybody has some faults or responsibilities for any road Crash. It is not possible to stop these kinds of road crashes if all parties do not fully come forward or someone is negligent. So, it is not enough to inform the pedestrians and passengers about the road transport law and the duties of the passengers on the road. Side by side creating volunteers, stopping the culture of disobedience, improve the poor road infrastructure, stop reckless driving by drivers and helpers driving, identifying problems and taking action, assisting in the use of zebra crossings. Including traffic rules in school curriculum, keeping politics out of road transport for the sake of life safety, proper checking of driving licenses etc. are also important. It should be noted that due to the silence and weak capacity of the law enforcement agencies, the anarchy and death marches on the roads are not stopping.
The speakers expressed their anger and said that in 2018, young children had protested for a complete road safety law. But in real sense the safe roads act has not been enacted. Due to the protection of the interests of bus owners and workers in the enacted law, the demand for a completely new road safety law has once again become one of the demands of the common people.
Speakers also said that every day in the country some people lose their children, some parents or relatives, but effective measures are not being taken to prevent it. The death march on the road is like everyone’s neck is covered by the indifference of the law enforcement agencies. But only those who lose their lives or are injured in accidents know how difficult this pain is. Many potential lives are lost prematurely. Therefore, the road crash death should not be considered as a mere accident but should be treated as a murder and social resistance should be developed against it. Later, candles were lit on the main road of the city to pay tribute to the deceased.
